Deer don't fill out census cards. hunters frequently fail to fill out harvest cards. The DD numbers are guesses only. My opinion, from my own observation in my hunting areas, is that the DD figures are conservative. This opinion I base on what I see harvested, and the deer numbers that still remain after seasons, and the high numbers of deer in place for the next hunting year. I don't have a phone book of stats to quote for you, just my own experience.